Did You Know

Research shows there is a high population of immigrant families in the Dallas area living in these low-income apartment complexes. Their children often do not know how to swim. Using apartment community pools, our staff actively engages and teaches children from area complexes to swim at absolutely no cost.

Starting in 2011 at 27 apartment complexes, over 1,900 children were taught to swim by Certified YMCA instructors. And the numbers have only grown since then. In 2015, 3,200 children were taught to swim through this program. These lessons were offered at 72 different apartment complex pools and in those communities the Y was able to offer 155 sets of 8 week lessons. And the impact is nothing short of incredible. On average, children increased their abilities on six critical swim safety skills by 78%.

Safety education in and around water is vital for all children to know. But research shows that a growing number of minority children are drowning every year. At the YMCA, we believe safe swimming saves lives, and all children should be equipped with the skills to help them safely enjoy the water.